Okemo Nakiska Southern Railway
The Okemo Nakiska Southern Railway (or ONSR) is a railway built in Snowlands Subcontinent, Southern Sansara. History The ONSR is one of the oldest features of the grid. It was built over a few years almost entirely by the ambitious resident Veronica Quackenbush. She purchased, over several years, the land needed to build the Southern part of the rail. Construction started almost as the Snowlands were built. The railway offered connection between Sansara's South coast (which has no protected waterway, no roads and so no major way of transportation) and a protected road to North (which actually was a virgin trail, a slice of land without a proper road built on it). At some point, the Linden officials appreciated the ONSR initiative and wanted the line to be extended further North to Wengen, to the heart of Snowlands. Over time, small changes happened, like changing the vehicles, changing stop points and small adjustments to buildings and rails in South. Technical Specifications The ONSR has the same gauge with standard Second Life railways and uses the same type of guide. That is, conventional trains can use it. However, the settings of the guide are radically different. So, a conventional train will be moving much lower, having its wheels partially buried in the ground. In practice, it is very difficult for a resident to put a train on the ONSR, as the line has no rezz zones. The line was not built as an open place where anyone could run a train. It was designed to have its own transportation. Also, in some parts, the railway has limited prim allowance. The switches are radically different. Some of them cannot be turned manually. They use a different technology then the switches in Heterocera. The railway has its own train service, with automated trains. These trains use a different technology then conventional trains and are set non-phantom. An interesting aspect is that trains wait each other at certain location. There is a small sector where the railway look like a tram line. Structure The ONSR can be divided into two major sectors: the private sector in South and the rail built on protected land in North. While the Northern part follows the Snowlands River and a main road, the Southern part takes advantage of Okemo Gorge, a valley that allows further access to South. North Sector The railway's Northern end is Wengen station, a small building with two rail platforms. The station is located close to Wengen infohub and close to ski lifts. It stretches on the Western side of the road, advancing South, for 360 m. Then, for 120 m, the railway is built on the same platform as the road, looking like a tram. At Eagan Bridge, the railway goes under the road, then crosses the river. Trains have a stop in the area. A bit further away, there is a small sector where trains wait each other to pass. From Eagan to Wengen, the railway passes through forest and some residential area. From Eagan to South, the landscape is completely different. The valley gets narrower and the railway is built close to the river, sometimes like a long, continuous bridge. South from Eagan, there are two stations: DJ Landing Spot and Bunny Cottage. A third one existed at Benham road end, known as Berthold Pass, which was a railway infohub. From Benham to Okemo Gorge, the railway follows the Okemo valley through a virgin trail. The end of protected land and the start of private ONSR line is marked by two torches and a small bridge. Wengen Station: 0 m Start of road platform: 360 m End of road platform: 480 m Eagan Bridge: 650 m Eagan Switch: 744 m DJ Landing Spot: 862 m Bunny Cottage: 1272 m Ohno Switch: 1344 m Benham Road End: 1826 m End of protected land: 2000 m. South Sector The Southern part of the railway, following the narrow Okemo valley, is private-owned. Visitors are welcomed. The railways follows the Okemo valley to South. Altitude slowly decreases, at first unnoticeable. At first, the railway passes through mostly uninhabited land. Okemo Canyon station is the largest of all stations on the way, with two long functional lines and a third one used for parking trains. The station also serves as an infohub, with world maps and info about the ONSR. The design is unique among railway stations. All switch stands are made of ONSR standards and are not compatible with standard Second Life switches. A bit more to the South, there is another historical station, Nakiska. This station, placed on a small branch line, was, for a period of time, the last station along the line, until the major extension to North. Currently, trains stop on the main line, at the junction. Nakiska marks an important change along the railway. From here, the slope increases dramatically, In order for trains to pass, builders had to come with unique technical solutions, like long bridges and switch turns. Tornado Pass is a small station that marks the end of Okemo valley. From here, trains have to go down and reach the coast. On the way, trains enter dead-end lines, then turn backwards, slowly decreasing altitude. There are a few spectacular bridges on the way. At the third turn back, trains reach a building close to sim border, which many consider to be a depot. Smithers Bluff is the last station on the way. It is not only a station, but also works like an infohub, providing maps and information about Heterocera and Sansara. The station is located on the coast. Enter of ONSR land: 2000 m Enter yard limit: 2174 m Okemo Canyon station: 2228 m Exit yard limit: 2338 m Nakiska: 2429 m Tornado Pass: 2606 m Switch end 1: 2734 m Switch end 2: 2858 m Switch end 3: 3018 m Smithers Bluff: 3214 m Importance The ONSR is one of the main touristic attractions in Snowlands. It had been visited by thousands of residents over time. In North, it motivated many residents to settle in. In South, where no other transport route exists, the ONSR is a vital connection to the rest of the world. It can clearly be seen that land close to the ONSR is less abandoned then land in other parts in South Snowlands. See Also *Second Life Geography *List Of Railways *Sansara *Snowlands Subcontinent